Fatally powerful as religious systems have been, human nature is stronger and wider, and though dogmas may hamper they cannot absolutely repress its growth.

Our instructed vagrancy, which has hardly time to linger by the hedgerows, but runs away early to the tropics, and is at home with palms and banyans - which is nourished on books of travel, and stretches the theatre of its imagination to the Zambesi.

I know forgiveness is a man's duty, but, to my thinking, that can only mean as you're to give up all thoughts o' taking revenge: it can never mean as you're t' have your old feelings back again, for that's not possible.

Plain women he regarded as he did the other severe facts of life, to be faced with philosophy and investigated by science.

The finest language is mostly made up of simple unimposing words.

There's good chances and bad chances, and nobody's luck is pulled only by one string.

One can say everything best over a meal.